Racing history was made forty-five years ago when the red Mark IV seen here claimed the second of four victories for Ford at the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car, which was driven by A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney, celebrates that win by getting unleashed from its home at Dearborn's Henry Ford Museum and touring the Goodwood Festival of Speed and this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans races.

The car still holds the title of the only Le Mans win attained by American drivers in an American-built car with an American engine prepped by an American team, Shelby American. It achieved victory by combining an advanced aluminum honeycomb chassis with a relatively crude, NASCAR-based 427 cubic inch engine, and it led all but the first 90 minutes of the race. The Mark IV, which can hit 220 mph, is identified with several iconic features, among them the "Gurney Bubble" on the roof which accommodated the driver's nearly 6 foot, 4 inch height, and the establishment of the post-race tradition of spraying champagne, which was started by a victorious Gurney.

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